Many different types of compositions have been developed during the years for cleaning varying substrates. These cleaning substances have included solvents and detergents. While compositions containing various solvents and detergents function effectively, they can, in the case of solvents, be dangerous to employ and the problem of disposal of the solvent is always present.
Detergents have also been widely used; however, they are frequently not as effective as the harsher solvents. Furthermore, biodegradability of detergents is an ever present issue.